THE BUZZ:Elder Scrolls parent company ZeniMax and Minecraft creator Mojang have been at war over the rights to the name “Scrolls”, and details have now come out over the settlement that was reached.

EGM’s TAKE: So, really—I find this whole fight rather ridiculous. Yes, the name The Elder Scrolls contains the word “Scrolls”—then arguing that another game can’t use that world as its name is silly. Could I not call a game “Dragon” due to Dragon Quest? Or “Fantasy” due to Final Fantasy?

My opinions on the matter aside, here’s the agreement that was reached. ZeniMax has licensed the “Scrolls” trademark to Mojang for used with this upcoming game, as well as any add-on content directly connected to that game.

However, Mojang cannot then use the name Scrolls for any sort of sequel or other video game, and ZeniMax retains all ownership rights to the trademark for the name “Scrolls”.

So, my hope now is that—much like they’ve done with Minecraft—Mojang expands the hell out of Scrolls instead of making one finished game and considering a sequel. That way, they can just keep the game existing for years under the same name, instead of having to come up with some unrelated new name.

About Eric Patterson

Eric got his start via self-publishing game-related fanzines in junior high, and now has one goal in life: making sure EGM has as much coverage of niche Japanese games as he can convince them to fit in. Eric’s also active in the gaming community on a personal level, being an outspoken voice on topics such as equality in gaming and consumer rights.

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Details Emerge on Settlement Over “Scrolls” Name

Elder Scrolls parent company ZeniMax and Minecraft creator Mojang have been at war over the rights to the name "Scrolls", and details have now come out over the settlement that was reached.

THE BUZZ:Elder Scrolls parent company ZeniMax and Minecraft creator Mojang have been at war over the rights to the name “Scrolls”, and details have now come out over the settlement that was reached.

EGM’s TAKE: So, really—I find this whole fight rather ridiculous. Yes, the name The Elder Scrolls contains the word “Scrolls”—then arguing that another game can’t use that world as its name is silly. Could I not call a game “Dragon” due to Dragon Quest? Or “Fantasy” due to Final Fantasy?

My opinions on the matter aside, here’s the agreement that was reached. ZeniMax has licensed the “Scrolls” trademark to Mojang for used with this upcoming game, as well as any add-on content directly connected to that game.

However, Mojang cannot then use the name Scrolls for any sort of sequel or other video game, and ZeniMax retains all ownership rights to the trademark for the name “Scrolls”.

So, my hope now is that—much like they’ve done with Minecraft—Mojang expands the hell out of Scrolls instead of making one finished game and considering a sequel. That way, they can just keep the game existing for years under the same name, instead of having to come up with some unrelated new name.

About Eric Patterson

Eric got his start via self-publishing game-related fanzines in junior high, and now has one goal in life: making sure EGM has as much coverage of niche Japanese games as he can convince them to fit in. Eric’s also active in the gaming community on a personal level, being an outspoken voice on topics such as equality in gaming and consumer rights.